http://www.theholidayspot.com/patrick/historyofpatrick.htm The Holiday Spot is another good source of “facts”, tidbits, recipes, songs, games, wallpapers, and more. They even have coloring pages for kids …and ringtones. (I can’t say that it ever occurred to me before this that I might WANT a St. Patrick’s Day ringtone!)

How could you possibly look for St. Patrick’s Day information and bypass http://www.st-patricks-day.com/ ? At any rate, they include a countdown, which might be useful a little farther out from the holiday…as well as information on Irish pubs worldwide, shopping, Irish dancing, Runs and Walks, and parades and events, among many other selections.

Another seasonal topic – colds, flus, and allergies…unfortunately all three seem to be all too common at this time of year. Sources of good tips on how to prevent/avoid/lessen the effects of that I have found include the following (keeping in mind I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV…:-D):

Of course, one of the first places I go is WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/preventing-cold-and-flu-how-doctors-keep-germs-at-bay. That article has tips that I had never even thought of: eating your sandwich with a napkin or paper towel around it to avoid contaminating it with germs that might be on your hands, wiping pens that are on your work desk or work areas down with alcohol or wipes daily, and getting regular exercise to boost your immune system are three that really stood out.

And now that we’re moving away from snowy days…we are moving straight to rainy days…sigh. As the mother of a 2-1/2-year-old and a 4-1/2-year-old, I can testify that children with stretch your creative abilities. So, I decided to seek out some ideas for rainy days. Some are for the kids, some are for us bigger kids:

Activity Village is a wonderful site – it has selections of coloring pages, downloads, crafts, games, jokes, and even recipes. Kids Activities – 10 Inspiring Ideas for a Rainy Day caught my attention but the rest is really good. I highly recommend taking a look!

This month’s theme: frugality (in case you can’t guess from the links below!). I found a great deal of information, ideas, and helpful hints on these sites. If you are looking for ways to save money (which most of us are these days), I’d like to think this list is a good start.

1.http://frugalliving.about.com/– this is a collection of articles on everything from using Thanksgiving leftovers to second-hand gifts.I found it fairly helpful.Topics you can browse through include “Frugal Living 101,” “Money Management,”“Food Savings,”“Frugal Fun,” and “Do It Yourself.”Yes, there are ads throughout on the page, but I found it easy enough to ignore those.

2.http://zenhabits.net/2007/08/the-cheapskate-guide-50-tips-for-frugal-living/ – Zenhabits is a wonderful, wonderful site.I know I’ve recommended various articles from that site before, but it bears repeating.I love the ideas in this article and can tell you that you CAN save a lot this way.For example, one suggestion is to “look for used first.”My husband and I just bought a much-needed dining room table from The Salvation Army; it has some dents and dings, but it was $125 as opposed to the current going price which, for the size table that we bought would be about $600.It also came with four chairs that are in great shape.

3.Frugal Living –this site has a range of articles on frugal living, from summer fun tips to “63 Gift Ideas under $10” and “Gifts from The Kitchen”.They also have sections on “Frugal Recipes,” “Frugal Parenting,” and “Gas Saving Tips.”Take some time and look around; you may not use everything you find, but I’d have to say there is something here for everyone.

4.Frugal Village – I love this site.It is well done – with a lot of content, but not cluttered or “fussy.”It is easy to find things here.There are sections on lifestyle, home and family, leisure, food, money, and so forth.You can even search the site.Wonderful site!

5.Hillbilly Housewife – a wealth of information and recipes here.There are beginner tips, cooking secrets, and even a blog.

6.Frugal Dad – I found some really interesting articles here.For example, there is an article on “Cyber Monday Frugal Gift Ideas” and “A Thanksgiving Story: What the Pilgrims Taught Us About Capitalism.”You can even sign up for updates via email or RSS.

7.Dumb Little Man –To make this relate specifically to this theme, go to the article 30 Ways to Save Money.However, the whole site is very interesting.The author(s) provide a “handful of tips” on a variety of subjects.Take some time to check it out!

8.The Dollar Stretcher – There are articles related to holiday gifts, using your fever to prevent food waste, and sections for baby boomers, family, going green, lifestyle, and “in critical condition.”Under each section, there are subsections and articles.Excellent site to spend some time browsing for ideas and tips!For example, under Family, there are subsections for Automobiles, Babies, Budgeting, Children, and Christmas.Under Christmas, there are ideas for decorating, gift ideas, and gifts for kids.I love it!

9.Livestrong – Specifically, this article on 5 Ways to Save Money caught my eye, but the whole site is interesting.There are sections on getting healthy, being active, eating well, finding balance, and staying young, among others.I found a lot of interesting articles on various interests – now if I can only find the time to go back and read them all!I think I need to start with finding balance!

Myfootprint.org – you can take a quiz to determine your impact on the earth and find ways to improve it!

The Green Guide – this site has green living tips, blogs, recipes, tips of the week, and more. I found it very helpful.

The Daily Green – this site has tips and advice, news, green home section, and more. There is a green cuisine section that includes parts on safe foods, recipes, and food blogs. There are community tips and more. You can join the community – or not. There is also a newsletter.

Do It Yourself – this is a very helpful site with information on all sorts of projects for the home, car, going green, lifestyle, crafts, cleaning, and more. There are forums to participate in, product information, and product reviews.

Do It 101 – this is a good way to spend time; I could have browsed here for quite a while – if I could find the time. There are articles on a wide, wide range of subjects. For example, under Animals – Cats, I found articles on caring for newborn kittens, 5 common diseases, patterns to make cat toys, and recipes for treats.

CNET Tips and Tricks – If you are looking for computer tips and advice, this is a good place to go. I found articles on adware, antivirus issues, tips on photography (particularly digital – things like avoiding fuzzy pictures, adding people to pictures, how to share your digital pictures, and so on), as well as tips for iPods and HDTV, among other things. Looks like a good library of information to check out.

The Simple Dollar – this site has some great articles on ways to save money, projects that can help you improve your financial situation, and so forth. I highly recommend it.

Frugal Living – This is on about.com and covers a wide range of tips on saving money. There are sections on everything from frugal living 101 to frugal seniors, as well as frugal fun, special occasions, and affordable transportation.

Stress Management Tips – Well, this is certainly to the point. The title says a lot – but there is more to the site than tips. There are sections on causes of stress, effects of stress, and on ways to handle different kinds of stress. There are also stress relief games and exercises. If you need stress management help, this is a good place to go.

Stress Center – Mayo Clinic – another good place to look for information on stress symptoms, relaxation techniques, stress management articles, and so on. This is a very informative site – for a wide range of topics.

Helpguide.org – This site has a ton of articles on various “life challenges”. I found it while looking for information on stress relief but discovered that there is a lot more to this site. Other topics include autism, anxiety, children & parenting, depression, eating disorders, relationship issues, sleep, and stress and trauma.

Widgetbox – If you want widgets for iGoogle, My Space, Facebook, WordPress, and other similar sites, this is the place to go. They have categories for blogs, countdowns, clocks, pets, news, humor, and so on. In addition, you can make your own. This is a lot of fun.

World Religions – this site has a number of articles on some of the world’s major religions. Mind you, this is not a huge list, but it is a good place to start.

Refdesk/Religion – I believe that I mentioned refdesk.com in another edition of this monthly feature. However, this is a nice enough list that I thought I should repeat myself a bit. This page has a list of 114 items related to various religions. Some have discriptions, some do not. I think this is a great starting point for looking into other religions – or even your own.